Seven Years Gone
by DearLadyDisdain
Summary: Seven years ago, stricken by grief, Tenten fled Konoha and changed her name. Now, with a new life, she thinks she's safe. But when her past catches up with her, she may not be able to deal with who she once was. Spilt personalities.
1. Prologue

Mayuri stood in her apartment. Something wasn't right. Everything was where it should be. Her bed was impeccably made, the windows were shut like every other night, and there was no sound. Well, except for the loud parties that the lady upstairs always seemed to have, and the normal street traffic. She suspected genjutsu, but there was none.

Movement from the corner of the room awakened her kunoichi instincts. More out of reflex than thought, Mayuri threw a kunai knife which hit a mouse right between the eyes.

'Stupid rodents. I will get a heart attack from one of those things some day.' She thought.

She sat down and poured herself some sake, still aware of her surroundings. Mayuri was currently living in the Waterfall village as a civilian. She wasn't a fan of it, but it was better than a rural life in the country. She worked in a bar, where she could hear rumors of other ninja and who was after whom.

But that was her day job. On the side, she was an elite jonin who only preformed S-rank missions. She was hired by any country that wanted their dirty work done fast. Mostly, that meant killing a lot of politicians.

She downed her second cup of sake. Normally, Mayuri would be relaxed when she got home, but not today. She had heard a funny rumor at the bar today. That some hunter-nin from the Hidden Leaf Village were tracking down as many missing-nin from the Leaf as possible. She knew from others that the main target was Uchiha Itachi was the main reason for the hunting party, but others that went rouge were soon to follow.

She got up and walked across her apartment to her bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Seven years, and several jutsu, had changed her face so that almost nobody could tell the difference between her present self and past self. Her face was thinner, her eyes were green, and even her hair was darker. Her body was taller and thinner, but she had prominent muscles that were quite hard to explain to her coworkers with a simple "I work out." She looked nothing like her old self. The Mayuri of seven years ago.

'Has it really been that long? I mean, I'm only 26, but it still feels like a lifetime ago...'

She downed another cup of sake. 'Do not allow those memories to resurface.' She said to herself. 'You'll just get paranoid and move again, and then the name change and the background change, and the job change. They can't find you. You've done everything possible. You even started the rumor that she died in a fire to cover your tracks. Snap out of it Mayuri!'

By the time she realized it, she had almost gone through two bottles. To clear her head, she took a shower, her thoughts still plaguing her as she debated whether to put her hair up to make her drying hair curly or to leave it down and have it remain straight. In the end, she left it down and crawled into bed, clutching three kunai under her pillow.

'Look on the bright side,' she told herself. 'No one alive knows that your name is really Tenten.'


	2. Chapter 1: A New Life

This is my first fic on FF, so I'm still a little hesitant on what the Response will be. Either way, I hope you like it. Also, I don't own Naruto. If I did, this stuff would be in the manga. Scary thought, huh?

* * *

Mayuri woke up with a splitting headache the next morning. She glared at the decrepit rays of sunlight that had managed to peek through her blinds. She hated hangovers because they made her feel vulnerable to any kind of attack. Mayuri picked up her alarm clock, groaned and rolled out of bed. 'I'll wake myself up at work.' She thought as she put on her standard plain clothing and an apron. She really didn't like boring clothes, but it was better to blend in to hundreds than stand out as one when it came to hiding yourself. Slipping a poisoned shuriken into her pocket and eating her cereal, Mayuri kept convincing herself that she was Mayuri, not Tenten.

'I am Mayuri and I always have been.'

_Shut up, you were born and raised Tenten. Nothing will change that._

'I am Mayuri of the Waterfall village.'

_No, I am Tenten of the Leaf!_

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" Mayuri yelled. She stays herself at work, and she would deal with Tenten later.

As she walked downstairs, Mayuri entertained the thought of what her two sides would look like if they ever met in real life. She imagined her Mayuri half to be graceful and proper, like a geisha, minus the prostitute part. Her Tenten half however, was a strange and powerful combination of her former teammates. 'No,' she thought. 'You had no teammates. In fact, you aren't even a registered shinobi, so you shouldn't even think about that part of your life.'

Still, Mayuri couldn't help but take pride in the 38 million ryo bounty on her head. She was known by many different names in many different countries, but referred to in the Bingo book as "The Invisible Kunoichi" due to her ability to kill in a way that left no sign that she had ever been near the person.

Directly below her apartment was the bar that Mayuri worked at. She was always the first to arrive and the last to leave, but that was normal for her. She liked to be doing something at all times. Otherwise, it was just her and her thoughts.

She walked across the restaurant to the bar and was greeted by one of the worst smells she'd ever met. 'Stupid Ai, always forgets to take out the trash.' she thought. Ai was her thirty-something co-worker who wasn't the most reliable for jobs, but was always good company on a bad day.

Holding her breath, Mayuri grabbed the sack of garbage and went out the back door to the alleyway where the restaurants dumpster resided. She immediately regretted going outside, as her hangover was not forgiving her in any way for those two sake bottles the previous night. She dumped the garbage in the dumpster, and rushed back inside.

Mayuri debated whether or not to get her sunglasses and go outside. 'I'm hung-over, but it rained last night.'

Within seconds, Mayuri was outside strolling along the street. One of the main reasons she picked the Waterfall village to settle in was because of the early morning smell. She thought the village was beautiful in the morning. It was always covered in fog, and it rained a lot on the rich gardens randomly scattered in the village. Of all the villages she had lived in, this was one was definitely in her top three.

Despite the hangover, she was in a relatively happy mood. To celebrate, she decided to get some lotus flowers from the flower shop. She always liked the shop because it had a bell that rang whenever the door was opened. The owner, and close friend, Natsumi, was like Mayuri; always up early. Walking in, she was greeted enthusiastically. "Mayuri-chan! What brings you in today? You look happy, what happened and why have you not told me already?"

Mayuri smiled to herself. Natsumi always reminded her of a bear cub. Natsumi was short and always getting herself into mischief.

"Why Natsumi-chan, can't I come to visit a dear friend?"

"It's not that, you're smiling. Is there a man?" Natsumi said excitedly while hopping on the desk at full attention.

"No, it's not a man. It's just nice outside this morning."

"I still think you need a man. You're too...oh, what's the word?"

"Satisfied with my current state of being?" Mayuri said.

"No... Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue! Lonely! That's it!"

Mayuri grimaced. "I prefer to think of it as independent."

Natsumi chuckled. " 'Independent' my ass. I can think of a thousand better ways to describe-"

"-Then please keep them to yourself. How many lotuses can I get for 100 ryo?" Mayuri asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Four, but I'll give you a fifth free. And I still think you need a man!" She called out as she disappeared into the back room to get the flowers.

Mayuri chuckled to herself. Natsumi had tried to set her up on many an occasion, and many men had willingly approached her, but Mayuri knew how to handle suitors. Get what you want, kick them out, and don't care how many body parts they're missing.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled and she sensed another ninja in the area. 'An elite one at that, judging by their chakra levels. 100 yards away, traveling, and they have a standard issue pack. Male, somewhere around 25, average height. Where the heck is he from?'

She pretended to wait. Where the hell was Natsumi with her flowers?

'He's closer, 10 more meters and I've got him pinned down. Surprise attack? No, he might be passing, plus I only have one shuriken, and I'm not stupid. I've got him right about- Holy crap, he's Leaf!'

Mayuri turned around and preyed to whoever was out there to make Natsumi faster.

'50 meters... 30 meters... 10... 5... Crap...'

He was outside the shop. She stopped sending out chakra and lowered her heartbeat. The shinobi outside was sure to discover her if she had an outrageous heartbeat. She could feel an icy cold stare piercing her, and knew that the shinobi was looking at her. She waited for the little bell on the door to ring in greeting (or warning?) of the new customer. After what seemed like an eternity, the shop remained silent.

Mayuri slowly turned around and found herself looking at her own reflection in the glass door. Natsumi came out of the greenhouse with five lotus flowers and looking very flustered. "Sorry I took so long, I remembered that I had a rather large order to fill and things sort of piled up. Yuri is late again, so I've been trying to cover her work, but it really is too much for one person."

Mayuri paid for the flowers and left. Yuri was Natsumi's assistant and was horrible at arriving on time. Mayuri was already feeling stressed about the Konoha ninja earlier, so she was so ready to do yoga before she really had to be in the bar for her afternoon-evening shift.

She unlocked the door to the bar, ran upstairs, and changed clothes for yoga. Lighting some candles and incense, she began to warm up. She meditated in several different poses before going into a Lotus Handstand, which required her to be cross-legged and inverted on her hands. Mayuri always found that yoga helped with her chakra control and stamina. Her clock beeped to signal that it was 4:30. Unfolding her legs, Mayuri was about to change shirts when something caught her eye in the mirror. It was the tattoo on her left arm. She got it when she joined the ANBU ranks. She had tried every way possible to get rid of it, even scrubbing her skin raw, which made her ware sleeveless shirts for a month. Nothing worked, and at one point she had seriously thought that it would only fade after she had long been gone.

Still, she threw on a shirt to cover up her tattoo, a skirt, and her apron. Looking in the mirror still, Mayuri told herself that nobody could see the tattoo, and then she left for the bar.

Ai was already taking orders from people at the bar and around tables. Ai shouted, "Hey Mayuri, can you take over the bar for me?"

Mayuri headed over to the bar and began filling orders and serving them to customers. Business slowed at around 5:30, but she knew it would pick up fast when the six O' clock hour rolled around. In preparation, she began cleaning glasses with a cloth while Ai set tables.

Mayuri looked up when the door opened, and almost dropped the glass she was cleaning.

* * *

Thanks to all who have read the story. I just had to write it, otherwise it would have consumed my brain and I would be failing all my classes. Please R&R. Hugs to all that do. 


	3. Chapter 2: The Visitor

Here's chapter 3! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sakura would have stopped whispering "Saskue-kun" by the second chapter.

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_**Previously on Seven Years Gone...**_

_Mayuri looked up when the door opened, and almost dropped the glass she was cleaning._

**_Now..._**

Neji Huyga walked into the bar and looked around. There was almost nobody else in the room, so he began to walk towards the bar itself.

'How is he still alive? Wait, how is he alive and how did he find me? Walk away, just walk away', thought Mayuri. She walked around to the back, pretending to get more sake and when she was safely behind a wall, she rested against it and freaked out a little.

"Shit, shit, this is bad. What do I do now?" Mayuri asked herself.

_Simple, pretend as if nothing is wrong. Personally, I would tell him, but that's just me, _thought Tenten.

'You again,' thought Mayuri. 'What do you want now? I thought I dealt with you this morning?'

_You did. However, on a serious matter, I would go up to the bar and pretend as if nothing is wrong and that you are Mayuri, the humble waitress. Not Tenten, his former teammate back in Konoha,_ thought Tenten.

'He's going to recognize me. I mean, we trained together almost daily for ten years. I disguised myself so that people acquainted with me wouldn't recognize me, not teammates! We're both screwed!' Thought Mayuri.

_Look, just go out there and pretend as if nothing is wrong. I'll be right here giving you advice the whole time._

'But I thought he was dead! That's why I left Konoha, so pardon me for doubting my actions over the past seven years!' Thought Mayuri angrily.

_Just go out there and stop being difficult already._

'I'll show you difficult,' Mayuri thought darkly. But before she could finish threatening Tenten in her mind, Ai came around the corner and asked, "Are you alright? You look sick."

Mayuri put on a fake smile. "I'm fine. Just a headache, that's all. I'll be out in a few."

Ai frowned. "All right, but don't push it. I get worried when you work to hard."

Mayuri stood up and gave her another fake smile. "I'll be fine. You take care of stuff out there. I'll be out in a second."

_Good. Now just walk out there and-_

'I know! Shut up already!'

Mayuri cam out from behind the wall and, to her dismay, saw Neji sitting at the bar, looking around curiously.

_Just suck it up and-_

'Shut it, already! Jeez...'

"Hello, can I get you anything?" Said Mayuri, putting on a fake smile again.

Neji finally met his eyes with hers, and Mayuri noticed that his normally blank stare looked lifeless, almost dead.

"Yes please. I'll have warm sake," he said. Even his voice sounded dead.

"Coming right up," said Mayuri, turning to heat the sake. 'Did I do that to him when I left?' she thought.

_Of course, when the one you love most leaves and doesn't come back, you do feel like a part of you has died._

'Thanks for the guilt trip.'

_Anytime. I will say that he really does look washed up. Although I wonder, how is Lee faring?_

'Probably he tells Neji to be more youthful-wait, why am I worrying about my old team? They're not a part of me anymore.'

_No, but they shaped who you are today, or should I say, who we are._

'No, that just sounds weird. Now shut up already.'

_I'm just saying that we technically are the same person. Now hurry up and get back to Neji, the sake is done._

Mayuri frowned to herself as she poured sake into a cup and served it to Neji. "Will there be anything else?" she asked politely.

Neji considered her for a minute. "Yes actually. Are you Mayuri?"

Mayuri froze. 'Shit. What now, O' wise alter ego?"

_Stop patronizing me. Remember that people ask you about the "Invisible Kunoichi?" Maybe that's all he wants. Maybe Konoha wants your services._

'You better hope that's all he wants.'

Mayuri stopped her internal battling to answer, "Yes, why do you ask?"

Neji spoke plainly. "I've been to three other bars looking for you. The others say that you know where I can find..." he leaned towards Mayuri as if to be secretive. "The Invisible Kunoichi."

"Who sent you and what do you want her to do?"

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Who put you in charge?"

"I'm sure that she would like to be informed of what she has to do before deciding. So are you going to tell me or not?"

Neji frowned at her for a while before saying, "The village of Konohagakure has requested the Invisible Kunoichi's services in the removal of a certain person."

Mayuri looked down the bar. There was nobody else seated, and the only people in the booths were a couple that looked wrapped up with each other, and an old drunk in the opposite end of the room. "Come with me," she said to Neji and preceded to walk out the back door into the alley. She glanced behind her to make sure he was following; he was.

Once they were in the privacy of the alley, she turned towards Neji. "Is there anyone listening to us?"

Neji stepped back. "Just a minute..."

She saw his veins bulge around his eyes and knew that he was scanning the area with his Byakugan. "Nothing to worry about as far as I can see."

Mayuri nodded, hugging her jacket due to the cold.

Neji frowned again. "Very well. The Hokage has requested that I find the Invisible Kunoichi and work with her to assassinate the non-shinobi leader of a country that has been abusing hostages taken in the last war. Tell her that the leader himself is no trouble, but his security is. This mission is off the books, but it would be a double S ranked assignment, and she would be paid handsomely."

Mayuri tightened her muscles. "Why are your eyes still bulged like before?"

Neji didn't answer her question, but she knew that he was looking at her and that he had discovered her chakra network.

"So," said Mayuri. "Where should I have her meet you if she accepts the mission?"

"A week from now at the top of the waterfall at midnight. We'll travel to the village from there."

"And where can I reach you if she says no?"

"Tell her not to come, and I will head back to my village." Neji said, walking past her.

"Midnight, huh? Quite the romantic, aren't you." Mayuri said under her breath as he walked away.

_Smooth. Now he's suspicious. You just screwed it up._

'Will you shut up already? I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself.'

No reply came from inside her head. Mayuri smiled and went back inside.

---The Next Day

Mayuri woke up the next morning in a good mood, at least until she opened her eyes and saw herself looking back at her. 'Wait, that's not me,' thought Mayuri. 'That's me seven years ago.'

"Otherwise known as Tenten. You look dreadful, you know." Said the Tenten look-alike.

Mayuri formed a hand sign. "Kai release!" When nothing happened, Mayuri built her strength up to a maximum and attempted to punch the look-alike. Her fist just sailed right through the body.

"I'm only in your head, so it won't do any good," said Tenten. "Technically, I'm just a projection of your mind."

Mayuri frowned and took out a bottle of sake from her nightstand drawer. "I must have snapped," Mayuri said to herself. "All the killing over the years must have gotten to me and I've snapped."

Tenten laughed. "Hitting the sake this early? It's not even nine yet! No wonder your brain is so screwed up."

Mayuri put down the sake bottle to snap, "Well, when you begin to see things that aren't real, especially if it's yourself, then you know that you at least need a drink to calm your nerves."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "I just told you that I'm a projection of your mind, of course I'm not real! Do you know why your brain is so messed up? Because when you left Konoha, you started to refer to yourself by different names. Then you faked your death and settled here, calling yourself Mayuri and you tried to burry me. For the last five years of your life, your brain has been creating two personalities because I've been repressed for so long."

Mayuri finally put down the sake bottle and said, "And you're here to take revenge on me for keeping you under wraps for that time?"

Tenten laughed again. "No, it was actually when Neji showed up. I mean, he and I were together for a year before the team left on a mission and we all thought he had died. Well, you can't blame me, I mean, he had no pulse and they carved his name into the stone where it lists the names of those who were K.I.A. But back to the point, we loved each other, so of course his return brought me out of your mind."

"No," Mayuri said. "You and I were fighting before then, yesterday morning before Neji showed up."

"Well, that was because you had just had a serious identity crisis the previous night."

Mayuri sighed. "So basically I've snapped."

Tenten smiled sadly. "You put it that way, but I prefer to call it getting in touch with your mind."

Mayuri took another swig from the sake bottle. "I'm going on a dangerous mission in six days, and I'm insane. Great, just great."

Tenten now sat on the bed looking at Mayuri with interest. "Oh, so you're taking the mission? When was that decided?"

Mayuri pretended to consider something. "Let's see. Right about the time he told me about the mission." She noticed that Tenten looked concerned "Don't worry, it will be a snap."

Tenten held up her hands in mock defense. "I'm just saying that while nobody here may recognize you from Konoha, he might. I don't care what kind of jutsu you've used to mask your appearance; he's known you for who knows how many years-"

"Ten years," interjected Mayuri.

"Ten years, whatever, but I'm telling you to be careful. I don't know if he would be willing to take back a missing-nin, but he would not think twice before taking us back to Konoha. Not that it was bad there; I'm just not sure how they would treat a runaway ninja."

"Just leave me alone. I can handle everything with out your help," said Mayuri angrily, but when she blinked, Tenten was gone and the apartment was silent.

Mayuri fell back on the bed and took another large gulp from the sake bottle. 'Great,' she thought. 'I've got a split personality and I have to spend a week with my presumed dead ex-boyfriend. My life just couldn't get anymore perfect.'

* * *

Thanks for waiting. I came up with the story around the idea of the last thought. This whole story has been plaguing my head for days, so I decided to get it out of my system before it distracted me from finals. Reviews make me happy. (hint, hint) 


	4. Chapter 3: An Enlightening Conversation

I know, definitely a long time for no update. Right after this hits the web, I'm continuing so I don't lose my train of thought when I take this up again a month later.

Disc: So not mine.

* * *

The week passed without any more appearances from Mayuri's inner mind. She had long decided that she would accept the mission, so she prepared everything she could for it. Neji could be seen walking around the village occasionally, but otherwise Mayuri had her thoughts and Tenten to herself. Mayuri had tried everything in her power to merge Tenten with the rest of her thoughts, but it reminded her of Ino's mind jutsu. It was like there was another presence in her head whose thoughts and feelings she couldn't read. When the night of her meeting with Neji came, Mayuri donned her shinobi wear and leapt out of her window to meet him, but not before leaving a note on the bar that said that she was away on a family emergency and didn't know when she would be back.

Mayuri's outfit was semi-dated, but it was her signature. She had a chakra infused mesh shirt that was almost as good as armor over a black tank top that turned into a mask as it went up to her ears. She wore very dark blue pants that were tucked into boots that came to the middle of her calf. Over all of this, she wore a long and heavy tan overcoat that disguised her female figure. To top it off, she had a hat that was flat on top and had a wide brim all the way around that often cast a shadow over her eyes. One of her victims told her she looked like a cowboy, which she took as a compliment and killed him anyway.

Jumping on rooftops and being wary of passerby below, she made her way to the waterfall to look for Neji. He was there early, sitting lazily in a tree, and she inquired as to who he was so that she could try to distinguish herself from the waitress he had spoken to earlier. "Are you the leaf shinobi who requested my services?"

Neji jumped down from the tree and bowed. "I am. And you are The Invisible?"

Mayuri nodded and bowed back. "I am. Where are we going? I like to be prepared."

Neji stepped forward and pulled out a map. "Your target is a leader of a mid-sized village within the south east region of Land of Lightning. He has been abusing his people and the government of the Cloud Village sees fit to ignore it. Our intelligence tells us that the Akatsuki have ties to the security and the advisors surrounding the leader. His security is made up mostly of jounin, but there are scattered S-class nin close to him. The leader is a priority, but taking out the S-class nin get you bonus points."

Mayuri looked around. "Let's get moving. Keep talking while we go." With that, both shot into the trees and began their trek towards the Land of Lightning, Mayuri's coat billowing behind her. Neither said a word for the first half hour of their flight through the treetops. Neji finally spoke after a while. "Do you live in the Waterfall village?"

"I have no home," replied Mayuri.

Neji was silent for a while. "Do you have a name?"

"I have no name," deadpanned Mayuri. She could feel Tenten in her mind, but Tenten thankfully remained silent.

Neji made a sound. "Do not lie. You are obviously Mayuri, the waitress who I talked to. Therefore, you have a name."

Mayuri chuckled. "Your eyes see a lot, but Mayuri is an assumed name. So, therefore, I have no name. You, however, must have one. You are a Hyuga, based off of those eyes."

She could feel Neji scowling. "I still would like to call you something other than 'The Invisible.'"

"Well, what would you like to call me?" asked Mayuri coyly.

"I feel it would only be fitting if I call you by the only name I know that you have, which is Mayuri."

"That is fine, but you still have not answered my question. What is your name?"

She felt him scowl again. "You may call me Hyuga Neji."

She forgot what it was like to talk to Neji again. "Ah, I have heard things about you. It's good to know that I won't be fighting alongside someone completely out of my league."

Neji remained silent and they continued towards the village. When the sun began to rise, they took a small break, determined their position, and kept moving. Normally it would take two and a half days to reach their destination, but at the speed they were moving it would shave off almost a day of their time. They traveled most of the day, but they set up camp in the forests of Bear country, bordering the Land of Lightning. They strategized about how they would bypass border control without alerting guards. They decided their best bet was to pose as a newly married couple on their honeymoon. Mayuri would use her real name and Neji would call himself Shou Takamura. They both munched on pre-packed food while they chatted pleasantly.

"How old are you?" asked Mayuri.

Neji swallowed. "I am twenty seven. You?"

Mayuri smiled slightly. "I'm about that age. We're just at the peak of our performance as shinobi."

Neji nodded. "Training is easier than normal, but it's supposed to get harder in our thirties."

Mayuri nodded and they were silent and eating again. "Do you have anyone special in your life?" Mayuri asked innocently. As if called upon, Tenten appeared next to Neji. "Of course he does," said Tenten. "It's you for goodness sake!"

Mayuri wanted to reply bitingly, but for preserving the illusion of her sanity, she retained her expression and was thankful for her mask and hat.

"I did, but she's been… gone."

"How long?" Mayuri asked quietly.

"Seven years," said Neji, staring straight ahead. "But I don't think she's dead."

"You still have hope?"

Tenten cut in. "Look! He misses you and still loves you!"

Mayuri was busy glaring at Tenten and she almost missed Neji's reply. "I wouldn't call it hope. It's more like a feeling. An instinct. She's alive, I know it. I don't know where or how, but I can sense it."

Mayuri was silent while Tenten gushed, "Aww. He hasn't given up on you! Tell him who you are, tell him!"

Mayuri ignored Tenten and remained silent, drinking her water. Neji was silent too. "What was she like?" asked Mayuri quietly.

Neji answered easily. "She was beautiful. Outside and inside too. Her hair was always in these cute buns on the side of her head, and she reminded me of a panda. She was smart, funny, dangerous, and full of life. We were on the same team since the academy, but it took us nine years before we finally got together. Almost everything was perfect when we were together too. Then a year later, we had a mission. We were in the same squad and I got separated from the rest of my group during an ambush. I got knocked out and woke up a week later in a prison cell. After six months, I managed to build up strength and break out. When I got back to my village, everyone told me she had left a month ago."

Mayuri's heart was breaking as he spoke. 'Oh, God,' she thought. 'What have I done? I should have waited. I was depressed and, yes, I lost it, but… Oh God. Oh, shit, what did I do?'

Tenten simply was watching him with wide doe eyes and Mayuri noticed her outline was fading. Within a minute, Tenten was gone from her sight and firmly back in Mayuri's head.

"They had been searching for her when I got back," continued Neji, "but the search officially ended two years ago."

"Why?" asked Mayuri in a voice just above a whisper.

"Because they found her body. Or, what everyone thought was her body. It had been in a fire and was damaged, but it looked enough like her to close the case. The corpse was the correct age, weight, height, and description, but it wasn't her. One of my friends was on the autopsy team and she told me in confidence that it wasn't her.

"The Hokage at the time prohibited me from going on my own to find her and I was forced to stay in the village until the elders said it was OK for me to go outside. Ever since then on every mission I've been on, I ask about her. She probably looks nothing like I remember her, but I know she's out there. Even if no one else does, I do, and that's enough for me."

Mayuri was silent for a while. "What would you do if you saw her again?"

Neji said nothing for a while and appeared to be thinking. "I don't know," he said finally. "I guess I would try to convince her to come back with me to Konoha, but beyond that I don't know." They both fell into silence again.

"What was her name?" asked Mayuri, already knowing the answer. "I travel a lot, and I may have seen her or heard of her."

Neji perked up. "Tenten. Her name was Tenten. She had no surname."

Mayuri tried to think up some bullshit answer and pretended to look as if she was racking her brain. "I was in the Mist a year ago, and I heard something about a woman with twin buns. It could be her."

Neji said nothing, but brightened considerably. "What about you?" he asked. "Do you have anyone special as well?"

Tenten fiddled with her hands. "There have been a few, but nobody that could keep up with me. Due to my… choice of profession, I move around a lot. Right now, it's just me, myself, and I."

Neji was looking straight at her eyes. "Anyone of significance? Ever? Long term boyfriend, perhaps?"

Tenten shook her head. "No. The longest recent relationship I've had lasted four months. I still can't find that one who could accept what I do and the constant danger of my job."

Neji nodded like he understood. Since they had been talking, the sky had grown darker and the stars were shining brightly and twinkling with mischief. Neji decided on sleep and they bid each other goodnight. As they both crawled into their respective sleeping bags, Tenten suddenly appeared beside Mayuri's sleeping bag. "Wow. How's that for information about what really went down," said Tenten watching the stars.

Mayuri rolled over in her bag to face Tenten. "Will you stop it already? I heard what he said," she whispered in a very low voice.

Tenten sighed. "Why don't you just tell him who you really are?"

"I can't," said Mayuri rolling back over and looking at the stars again. "I've invested too much in what I do right now to give it up."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "It's simple, really. You just say the words and everything goes back to the way it was."

"It's more complicated than that," Mayuri snapped as she pulled clutched three kunai under her travel pillow. "I left for more reasons then just the fact that I thought he was dead."

-Flashback-

_Tenten sat on the lid of her apartment's toilet in her undergarments. Not only did she believe that Neji was dead, but her period hadn't come yet. She was a week late._

_An empty pregnancy test box was sitting on her countertop and she was holding the test in her hand. She had already peed on it, and she was waiting for a result. She had expected thoughts to be swirling around in her head in a hurricane of misery and anxiety, but her thoughts were surprisingly calm. The only thought was whether or not she wanted to be pregnant with Neji's child. She knew Kurenai had the same thing happen to her with Asuma before he died, and it was possible for her to raise a child as a single mother, but she was only twenty-two, too young to have kids by most standards, especially for a kunoichi. Kurenai got pregnant when she was thirty-five, and Tenten had wanted to wait until she was at least twenty-eight._

_She was disrupted from her thoughts when a symbol appeared on the test. A little pink plus sign stared up at her, willing her to say something. She must have sat on her toilet for ten minutes, just staring at the little plus before angrily throwing it into the trashcan. She sank onto her bathroom floor and stared at the tile._

I'm pregnant_, she thought over and over again. _I'm pregnant…

_She stared at her stomach. Somewhere in the depths of her uterus, she knew a little Hyuga was growing. She reached for the pregnancy test box and read the back and the instructions. _99 accurate_, she thought. _What if I got the 1 of the tests that were duds?

_She quickly exited the bathroom and changed into some simple civilian clothes. Grabbing a coat on the way out, she headed for the hospital. It was raining and Tenten was thankful for her coat having a hood. Hardly anyone was around, and Tenten was thankful for that as well. She needed to be alone._

_She decided she would go to the civilian wing of the hospital so she could avoid Ino and Sakura. She didn't want people to know she was pregnant, especially the two biggest gossips in the whole village. Before entering the hospital, she took her buns down and messed up her hair a little bit. She walked up to the reception desk, and said very quietly, "I need to see someone. I think I'm pregnant."_

_The receptionist nodded. "We have a room open. Follow me please."_

_Tenten followed the receptionist down a hallway and at the end the receptionist opened the door and asked her to put on a hospital gown. "Someone will be with you shortly," she said before walking away. Tenten closed the door and stripped off her clothes and put on the hospital gown. Realizing that it didn't close fully in the back, Tenten grabbed another and put it on backwards so that her back and butt didn't get cold. _Hospital rooms are so impersonal, _she thought as she waited in silence. _People in hospitals always find out if they're pregnant, going to live or die, the least architects could do is make the rooms a little more personal.

_The doctor walked in, a black-haired woman in her mid-forties with slight forehead wrinkles and crows feet. "So," the doctor began, "you think you're pregnant?"_

_Tenten nodded. "I took a home pregnancy test, and it said I was. I'm kind of hoping it's wrong."_

_The doctor nodded sympathetically. "Alright Miss, I'm going to take a blood sample and it should only take a few minutes to determine if you really are pregnant." The doctor pulled out a syringe, sterilized it, and took a phial full of Tenten's blood. As the doctor headed out, Tenten stopped her. "Doctor?"_

_The doctor stopped and turned around. "Yes?"_

_Tenten fidgeted with her hands. "How often are those home tests accurate?"_

_The doctor smiled at her sadly. "Almost all the time they are dead right."_

_Tenten nodded as the doctor walked out. She didn't know if it was the inclusion of the word "dead" or the fact that she felt so vulnerable sitting without pants in a hospital room, but she began to cry. All of a sudden, she felt helpless, alone, and lost and she was losing control over her emotions. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she looked at her flat, toned stomach. "Because of this," she whispered, "you better not be weepy."_

_Tenten cried silently until she sensed the doctor's footsteps. She immediately rearranged her emotions and put on an emotionless face. "Well?" she asked quietly._

_The doctor simply nodded and Tenten sank against the wall. "I would offer my congratulations," she said, "but you don't seem so thrilled yourself. What ever happens though, I wish you the best of luck. But I must tell you that you can't have alcohol, coffee, or anything with caffeine or alcoholic content. In the first 28 days, it is very important that you eat a balanced diet so that the baby can develop healthily. Do you want to schedule another appointment for a full consultation?"_

_Tenten nodded. The doctor continued. "Alright. I'll pencil you in for a week from today. Just give your name at the desk and we can help. Once again, I wish you the best," and the doctor left Tenten alone with her thoughts._

_Tenten made no movement or sign that she heard the doctor. The only thing she did was get off the bed thing and put her clothes back on. _I'mgoing to have to get new clothes,_ she thought. Tenten exited the hospital and tied her hair back into her signature buns as she walked towards her house. She mentally counted off the people whom it would be possible to tell about her condition. Sakura and Ino were out, most of the guys she knew were out, and in the end it came down to Lee, Gai-sensei, and Hinata. She then eliminated Gai because that conversation would be highly one-sided and awkward, and Lee was risky because he had a big mouth and told Sakura everything. She would tell him in time, but not immediately. Hinata was her best bet as Tenten's best friend and closest relative to Neji. Tenten immediately turned in the direction of the Hyuga compound in search of Hinata._

_About twenty minutes later, Hinabi had directed her to Kurenai's house where Hinata was babysitting. Tenten approached the modest home and knocked. She was mildly surprised when Kurenai herself answered the door. "Tenten," said Kurenai with equal surprise. "Do come in. You'll catch a cold if you stand out in the rain much longer."_

"_Thank you," muttered Tenten, grateful for the hospitality and the warmth of the house. She could hear Hinata playing with Kurenai's son. "So," began Kurenai, "are you here to see Hinata?" She didn't ask in an annoyed way, it was concerned, and it was what Tenten needed to hear at this very moment._

"_Yeah, I really need to talk to her. Now that I think about it, it would be good to get your advice too."_

_Kurenai simply nodded at her vagueness, and led her into the cozy living room. Hinata looked up. "Hey, Tenten."_

"_Hi, Hinata," said Tenten quietly. She was looking at Kurenai's son who was running around the room without a care in the world. _It's because he's not pregnant_, thought Tenten. Hinata immediately detected Tenten's distress. "Tenten, what's wrong?"_

_Tenten gestured for Hinata and Kurenai to sit down. "You guys are probably the best people to tell, and this is totally not easy to say, but…"_

"_Tenten," Hinata said firmly, "you can tell us anything." Kurenai nodded but continued to watch Tenten pace around her living room nervously._

_Tenten nodded and took a big breath. "The thing is… I'm pregnant."_

_There was a dead silence that lasted about three seconds before Hinata said, "What?"_

_Tenten just kept repeating it over and over again. "I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant. That feels so weird to say."_

_Hinata shook her head while Kurenai remained silent. "Wait, your pregnant, like, with a kid?"_

"_Of course it's a kid. What, do you think I can pop out a twenty year old? No, it's a kid. A bona-fide infant."_

_Everyone was silent again. "But wait," said Hinata. "You and Neji were… oh…"_

_Tenten's face grew dark and somber. "Yeah…"_

_Hinata just kept shaking her head and softly saying, "wow." Kurenai spoke first:_

"_What will you do?"_

_Tenten hadn't really considered it. "I don't know," she said, "I want to keep it, but a part of me is telling me that I'm too young to continue being ANBU and raising a kid."_

_Kurenai nodded. "It was hard for me too. A part of you wants to get rid of it because you are worried about what kind of damage you could do to the kid psychologically. You wonder if you could screw them up for the rest of their lives, or if people will see it differently and pity the kid for the rest of its life because it didn't have a father to grow up with. But that part of you that wants it, wants it because it reminds you of the one you love. It's the one thing you have of his that nobody else ever could have. His child."_

_They were both silent and in that silence, Tenten felt a stronger connection to Kurenai than she ever had to a older female figure before. Kurenai knew exactly the situation Tenten was in, and was voicing Tenten's feelings in a way that she could never express properly. Hinata spoke up again. "Did you tell Neji before he…"_

_Tenten shook her head. "I didn't know until about a half hour ago." Tenten paused again. "But I do know one thing; Hinata, I want you to be the godmother."_

_Hinata smiled sadly. "I would love to be the godmother. Who are you going to get to be the godfather?"_

"_I'm thinking it will be Lee. He's been like a brother to me for the longest time, so it makes sense. I still have to work up the courage to tell him. He's going to shout it from the rooftops when I do."_

_Hinata nodded. "People are going to know anyway when your stomach gets bigger and a little kid starts to follow you around."_

_Tenten blamed it on hormones, but she began to cry at Hinata and Kurenai's kindness. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping a tear from her face as Hinata stood up to embrace her. "It's just, this is huge. I don't know what to do. I mean, I know he wouldn't be much of a help, but I just wish Neji was here."_

"_We all wish he was here," whispered Hinata. Kurenai made some caffeine-free tea and nothing more was said._

-End Flashback-

* * *

Wow. Eight pages in MS Word. I hope you enjoyed them. I think it was the most fun for me writing the flashback. I had a combination of _Juno_ and _Sliding Doors_ in my head when writing, and some low-key Bob Dylan helps as well. The next chapter is more flashback and more explanation of why Tenten left.


	5. Chapter 4: Getting To Know You

Long update, I know, but consider it my holiday present to you. Happy Holidays!

* * *

Tenten had long disappeared from Mayuri's side, but the memories were still flowing feely through Mayuri's head with no dam to stop them. Everything was coming back to her, the pregnancy, telling Lee, and the inevitable pain…

-Flashback-

_Tenten woke up in her apartment feeling better than normal. She had a consultation with a doctor that specialized in pre-natal care about three weeks ago. Tenten now knew how to sleep properly when she got big, which vitamins to take, and which foods she needed around that she almost always constantly craved (ramen and honey). She still had yet to tell Lee that he was going to be a godfather._

_She had approached Tsunade one day and told her that she would have to request a maternity leave in five months, and she needed missions that would not endanger the baby. Tsunade had smiled, complied, and wished her the best, telling her that she had patrol duty at six the next morning and new schedules for ANBU patrol would be posted the next day as well. Leaving the Hokage tower, she walked towards Lee's apartment in search of one of her best friends._

_Lee's apartment was a block or two away from Tenten's, but the walk seemed to take forever. She was thinking of all the ways to tell Lee that she had been "deflowered" and was currently "blossoming with a seed," as he would unfortunately most likely put it. She was also wondering how he would react. Would he freak out? Would he hug her? Would he cry at her plight of being a young mother? She had no idea, and a part of her didn't want to know. Before she knew it, her feet had guided her up the stairs of his building and she was standing outside of his door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked._

_Almost instantly, she heard him shout, "Just a minute!" and there were several bangs coming from inside. A few seconds later, he opened the door wearing a forest green bathrobe._

"_I'm sorry," said Tenten, "did I come at a bad time?"_

_Lee smiled widely. "No, I was celebrating my successful mission last night and I had just got out of the shower when you knocked. Come in, come in!" he said happily, ushering her into his cushy living room. Lee was still a regular jonin and he had missions that differed greatly from the ones that Tenten was used to. "It isn't often you come to see me. What's happening?"_

_Tenten took a seat on a cushy green armchair and fidgeted with her hands. This was definitely not going to be easy. Lee noticed her discomfort and got up again. "Would you like some tea?"_

_Tenten nodded. Lee went to his kitchen and was looking for tea bags. "What kind would you like?" he called from the kitchen._

"_Anything without caffeine," she replied sadly. That was one of the hardest things about being pregnant: she couldn't have her morning cup of coffee anymore. Lee was still looking around his cabinets. "The only stuff I have without caffeine," he called, "is peppermint and black tea. Which one would you like?"_

"_Both," replied Tenten immediately. Lee shrugged and pulled out a green tea bag for himself. They were silent while they waited for the water to boil, Tenten too nervous to say anything and Lee too nice to pry. When his teakettle began to whistle, he took it off the burner and poured for them both. "Do you want any honey in your tea?"_

"_Oh, God yes!" said Tenten happily. She had started craving honey on anything ever since she found out she was pregnant. Lee then added sugar as well and brought out the mugs of steaming tea for both of them. Tenten sipped hers gratefully while Lee sat down across from her and waited for his to cool off. "So, Tenten," began Lee, "what seems to be bothering you?"_

_Tenten set her mug down. Lee noticed she looked mousier than when he had last seen her. Her hair was in its traditional buns, but it was frizzing around her head and her eyes didn't have the spark that he remembered them having. She seemed much more docile; not like the deadly kunoichi that she really was._

"_Well," she started, "I really don't know how to tell you this. It's kind of hard."_

_He grabbed her hands and took them in his. "Tenten, we have known each other for eons. Nothing you say could make hate you. You are safe here," he said gesturing around at his apartment. Tenten smiled and took a deep breath. "Ok… I'm sorry, I really don't know how to say this."_

_Lee calmed her down and she drank her tea again, which helped. "Alright," said Lee again. "You're fine, you're just freaking out a little."_

_Tenten nodded quickly. "Um, Ok, I'm just going to say it. I'm pregnant."_

_Lee was silent for a long time, his expression frozen on his face. _ I really hope it's just taking a long time for the information to process_, thought Tenten as she waved her hand in front of Lee's face. Lee snapped out of it and smiled a great big smile. "Tenten… that is the most wonderful thing I have ever heard."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yes."_

_Tenten smiled back at him and got up to hug him. They both stood like that for a long time, hugging each other and Tenten crying with happiness into Lee's robed shoulder. "Lee," she managed to choke out, "I want you to be the godfather."_

_Lee looked at her and said, "I one hundred percent accept. Yosh! I will be the best godfather in the world!"_

_Tenten either laughed until she cried, or vice versa. "You will really be the like the kid's dad though," she said very seriously._

_Lee nodded. "I understand. Without Neji… it will be hard. I will be there for you no matter what."_

_Tenten whispered a small "thanks" and melted into his shoulder again. "I miss him," she whispered._

"_I do too," Lee whispered back. "But grief is not the way to go. The living mean more than the dead, and we move on and we forget. But sometimes the past and present collide, and the dead remind you of all they once were. Neji was a great man, and his child will be just as great. For now, we can mourn his loss and celebrate the gain of new life."_

_Tenten was quiet and thought about what Lee said. "You are far more wise than people give you credit for," she said with a sad smile. "I don't know why Sakura won't agree to go out with you."_

_Lee just laughed and they hugged and cried and laughed until Lee took Tenten out for some pregnancy-friendly food. After relaxing and chatting happily with Lee, Tenten began to think that pregnancy wasn't so bad after all._

-End Flashback-

"Mayuri… Mayuri… wake up!"

Mayuri sat up straight, rigid as a board, ready to throw her kunai. However, she was inches away from Neji's hard, blank eyes and immediately lowered her weapons. "What happened?" she asked sleepily.

"You kept talking in your sleep and then you began crying. What happened?" he asked.

Mayuri rubbed her temples. "All that talk about the past earlier brought up some things I hadn't thought about for a long time. I'm sorry if I freaked out…" she trailed off as she realized that Neji was staring at her face. She had taken her mask off to go to sleep and she really hoped that her disguise jutsu hadn't worn off accidentally. "Neji, what's wrong?"

Neji shook his head as if to clear it. "Nothing, it was nothing. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Sorry?"

"Do you want to talk about what happened? Like, your past that you seem so afraid of."

_It's not my past that I'm afraid of,_ thought Mayuri. _It's you._

"Come on," repeated Neji, his eyes softer. "I've told you some stuff I haven't even told my best friend. You're perfectly safe," he said, ignoring the fact that he was talking to one of the deadliest and dangerous people on the planet.

"Alright…" said Mayuri grudgingly. "I'll tell you, but no names. When you asked if I ever had a long-term boyfriend, I lied. In another lifetime, in another place, I was in love with a man. Shortly after he died, I found out I was pregnant with his child. My best friend was glad to assume the roll of father, and he was so excited about it. And then something happened…"

-Flashback-

"_Tenten!" Lee called excitedly while they walked down the market streets of Konoha. "This would be perfect for Rieko!" he said, holding up a pink onesie._

_It was a warm, late spring day, and both Lee and Tenten had decided to take a walk around the market. Lee, in the last three months, had happily assumed the duties that Neji would have had. Lee was helping her walk, escorting her to doctor's appointments, and do all sorts of other menial tasks. Tenten had never felt more like a sister to Lee than the past few weeks. It was especially comforting to have him around when the four-month anniversary of Neji's death happened the week previously. Tenten could have sworn that she had cried more that day than she ever had in her life._

"_Lee, who said it was going to be a girl? For all we know, Rieko could be a Ren. Don't make assumptions, I don't find out if the baby is a boy or a girl until next week," Tenten said, smiling._

_Lee looked put out. He then picked up a green onesie. "Gender neutrality," he said with a wide smile._

_Tenten laughed and rested her hands on her stomach. Her stomach wasn't huge, but it was noticeably pregnant. Most of the Konoha shinobi knew about her condition, and she had heard of plans for a surprise baby shower that would be thrown by Sakura and Ino. She was so grateful for all of her understanding and sympathetic friends who supported her. She and Lee continued to walk around and laugh and look at baby clothes when something happened._

_Her stomach erupted in pain. It was worse than the time she was stabbed with a poisonous katana. It felt like something was burning her from the inside out. Tenten collapsed on the ground and screamed in pain. Lee came rushing to her side and they attracted a fair amount of attention from passerby. "Tenten, what's wrong?"_

_Between gasps of pain Tenten said, "Hospital. Now."_

_Without another word, Lee picked her up and he jumped as fast as he could towards the hospital. They entered the hospital and she vaguely remembered Lee yelling for hospital staff. Sakura was there and took Tenten from Lee, then, everything went black._

_When Tenten woke up, something didn't feel right. She remembered being taken to the hospital, and she understood why she was in a hospital bed immediately. What didn't feel right was the fact that something felt wrong. Something was missing. Tenten looked wildly around and looked at her own body. All of her limbs were still attached, but something was terribly wrong._

_As if on cue, Tsunade entered. Tenten attempted to bow, but ended up ducking her head from her bed. "Tenten," said Tsunade gravely. "I'm sorry. There is no easy way to say this; you had a miscarriage. She died. There was nothing we could do."_

_Tenten was silent for a long time. "S-she?"_

_Tsunade nodded. "It was a girl. It wasn't your fault, these things happen. Once again, I am sorry for your loss." Tsunade walked out, and Tenten broke down._

_She curled up in a ball on her side, pulled the sheets over her head, and cried great, wracking, sobs. She could do nothing but cry until she ran out of tears to cry. Her cries were so heartbreaking, passerby outside of her room felt terrible just walking by it. Her heart was in her stomach, and she vaguely wondered if it was still functioning. She remembered Lee coming in, his cheeks tear stained as well, and he got into bed with her. He curled up behind her and comforted her as much as he could. "It's not your fault," he whispered._

"_It's like losing him all over again," cried Tenten. "This baby was my last connection to him, and it's gone. He's gone." And Tenten broke into uncontrollable sobbing again. Lee laid down next to her and tried to provide some kind of comfort, but Tenten was beyond it. She was beyond pain, beyond suffering. When darkness fell, Tsunade told Lee that he had to go home, that Tenten was physically and emotionally drained from the miscarriage, and she had to stay another day in the hospital. Lee left, but not before kissing Tenten's forehead and promising he would be back as early as he could. As he turned to leave, Tenten said, "Reiko."_

_Lee turned around. "What?"_

"_It was a girl," said Tenten in a hoarse voice. "Her name would have been Reiko. The baby was a girl."_

_Lee nodded, and exited the room. Tsunade turned out the light and closed the door, casting the room into darkness. Tenten immediately got up, opened the window, and jumped up to sit on the roof of the hospital. She sat, watched the moon, cried some more, and walked around Konoha._

_Tenten found her legs were a little wobbly, just like Tsunade said, but she thought of it as some kind of reminder of what she went through to be where she was. Looking around at the shops and the night owls, she felt a sense of separation from everyone else. She felt like she existed in two worlds; before Neji's death, and after her miscarriage. Everything reminded her of Neji and her baby, no matter where she turned or what she looked at. Nothing in Konoha would ever feel the same to her, and she didn't know if she could even bear just standing in the middle of the street. She turned and headed back to the hospital and flew back in her open window. She knew what she was going to do._

_Tenten changed back into her regular clothes and discovered that her shirt was too big for her as well as her pants, due to the absence of a pregnant belly. She hung onto her pants and flew back to her apartment, which had grown unnaturally quiet. She changed clothes again, grabbed all of her weapons, money, and packed her necessary clothes into her ninja pack. She grabbed her headband without putting it on and took a final look at her apartment when she saw a picture of her team when they first graduated the academy. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and stuffed it into her pack._

_Flying out her door, she flew out the gates of Konoha, never to see the city again. Where she was going, she didn't know, but to her, any place was better than Konoha._

-End Flashback-

"And that's why I left my village…" finished Mayuri, definitely feeling uncomfortable. She didn't know if anyone had told Neji that she was pregnant before she left, but she really hoped not. Neji looked at her as if he was second-guessing something, and Mayuri preyed that it wasn't her identity.

"I… I had no idea… that you suffered that much," he said slowly. "I thought you just did this for money and sport, but there was something else…"

"Yeah, well… I'm about as fucked up as they come," said Mayuri bitterly.

"We all are," insisted Neji. "You look into any shinobi's past and there was always something that went sour, be it early or late."

"What was yours?" asked Mayuri quietly.

Neji lifted his forehead protector and pointed at his curse seal. "This. This was burned onto my head at age four. My father was also killed the next day. My cousin was abused by her father, and her husband grew up being hated and with no parents. His sensei was forced to watch his father commit suicide. Our last Hokage blames herself for the death of her brother and her lover. Ask anyone in our line of work, and something went rotten when they were growing up."

Mayuri remained silent. This wasn't the Neji she remembered. The Neji she loved was much less talkative, more of an introvert, and much less bitter. The one standing before her was achingly open about his life, and Mayuri felt a twinge of guilt.

"Why did you tell me what you did?" asked Mayuri. Neji looked at her the way he looked at her when he woke her up. "I mean, we barely know each other, and I'm essentially a mercenary. Why?"

Neji paused and Mayuri feared she had pushed him too far.

"You remind me of her. My girlfriend. I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you."

"That's a dangerous word to throw around in this world."

"We're dangerous people," he said simply before crawling back into his sleeping bag. Mayuri thought about it as she crawled back into her bag, going over the border security plan in her mind.

* * *

Remember to drop a review and have a safe New Year.


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